Hi,I am looking to get a bigger camper next year, along with a bigger truck (3/4 ton --- probably a gasser but not sure yet--looking at the Dodge with the 6.4 gas engine). I am looking for something that has a separate bedroom for the kids AND a large living area that has a full size couch and / or some captains chairs. It seems difficult to find these features in a bumper pull. Most that have the kids room have only a single love seat, but there are a couple of options. The one I found that might meet my needs costs about $50k. So now I am starting to wonder whether or not it makes sense just to go to a 5th wheel if I am going to have to spend that much. I would not have an issue if it were not for the spare bedroom need. So what are the pros / cons of a bumper pull vs. 5th wheel? I am not crazy about crazy about giving up my bed space, not crazy about high cost, and a little concerned about the overwhelming height of a 5th wheel. For the bumper pull I question whether I can find one big enough to meet my needs, and somewhat concerned about the length of a 33 foot or longer trailer. It would seem that I could get a longer trailer with a 5th wheel that would not be as long when hooked up. Here are some questions:-how much easier is it to back up with the 5th wheel?-how would gas mileage of a 12k pound 5th wheel compare with a 9k pound bumper pull? (aerodynamics vs. weight seems to be the issue here)-how much better would the 5th wheel tow?-how might the cost compare? -does the size and height of a 5th wheel as much of a limiting factor as it might appear?-do you effectively lose all of your bed space when towing? -can you easily remove the hitch from the bed when not towing? -would I really NEED to get a diesel if I went with the 5th wheel?thanksMatt

Another thing I should mention is that I carry 18 foot long kayaks when I go to the shore so I would need to find a way to carry them on the truck if I got the 5th wheel. I think I could get a rack for the front bumper that would allow me to slide them far enough forward to allow for this...but need to research this.

I went from a 39' TT to a 39' 5'er. THe TT towed just as well as the 5'er because I was using a Hensley hitch. While you do loose a lot of bed space in the truck towing a fiver there is still some usable space in front of and behind the 5th wheel hitch. The fiver basement is huge and makes up for any space lost in the bed of the truckHeight of fiver can be intimidating. You do need to be more concerned with over passes and tree limbs. On the other hand the higher interior ceiling are nice and make the 5'er feel more like a home and less like a trailer.THe fiver tows a bit shorter vs. a TT. A good 5' or so over hangs the truck bed vs. a TT. Otherwise they are both just as easy to maneuver and back in.I strongly suggest a 1 ton SRW truck as a minimum if you plan to tow a 5'er . you will need/want the additional payload vs. a 3/4 ton.Pick your poison. I prefer the higher ceiling and additional storage of the 5'er, however there are lots of nice TT floorplans I could live with as well. There will always be more space in the 5'er.

Sounds like you already made your mind up. What's holding you back? You need our approval or what? Trying to convince your wife you have to spend the extra money for the 1 ton diesel? You been a member since 2007 you must have read at least 100 threads on this subject by now.

Look at the sporttrek line of campers they make a tt that comes in at 32k that fits the bill. There are a few other models similar to that one. For the kayaks they make a rack that gets mounted to the back of the fifth wheel that might work.

You can go either way with 3/4 ton truck. You could go with a light 5er or a heavy TT.Fuel economy is going to suffer all around but more so with 12K 5er. You are losing economy by weight, height, and fuel. When you are pulling weight and drag (tall) up mountains and at altitude gasser produce their towing capacity at higher RPMs. That means more fuel. Of course the question there is Cents per mile, not necessarily MPG.The truth is a diesels have the advantage as far as towing goes. A good gasser can do well, but diesels are still better, but cost more.We had a tall toy hauler (closer to a 5er for drag) and besides needing to be cautious around trees it inhaled fuel. The diesel had little trouble hauling it around, but frugal on fuel it was not.Grand Design Imagine makes a nifty TT called the 3150. Fully loaded it tops out around 9,000. That will still make a bite in the fuel but 3/4 ton should have no problem with it. It also has a 5er sized front hold and is nice complete with walkin closet.

5th Wheel or Bumper Pull for Next Family Camper???

bowler1
Explorer
Mar 08, 2017
Another thing I should mention is that I carry 18 foot long kayaks when I go to the shore so I would need to find a way to carry them on the truck if I got the 5th wheel. I think I could get a rack for the front bumper that would allow me to slide them far enough forward to allow for this...but need to research this.
Lantley
Nomad
Mar 08, 2017
I went from a 39' TT to a 39' 5'er. THe TT towed just as well as the 5'er because I was using a Hensley hitch. While you do loose a lot of bed space in the truck towing a fiver there is still some usable space in front of and behind the 5th wheel hitch. The fiver basement is huge and makes up for any space lost in the bed of the truck
Height of fiver can be intimidating. You do need to be more concerned with over passes and tree limbs. On the other hand the higher interior ceiling are nice and make the 5'er feel more like a home and less like a trailer.
THe fiver tows a bit shorter vs. a TT. A good 5' or so over hangs the truck bed vs. a TT. Otherwise they are both just as easy to maneuver and back in.
I strongly suggest a 1 ton SRW truck as a minimum if you plan to tow a 5'er . you will need/want the additional payload vs. a 3/4 ton.

Pick your poison. I prefer the higher ceiling and additional storage of the 5'er, however there are lots of nice TT floorplans I could live with as well. There will always be more space in the 5'er.
ronharmless
Explorer
Mar 08, 2017
Sounds like you already made your mind up. What's holding you back? You need our approval or what? Trying to convince your wife you have to spend the extra money for the 1 ton diesel? You been a member since 2007 you must have read at least 100 threads on this subject by now.
evanrem
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2017
Look at the sporttrek line of campers they make a tt that comes in at 32k that fits the bill. There are a few other models similar to that one. For the kayaks they make a rack that gets mounted to the back of the fifth wheel that might work.
ng2951
Explorer
Mar 08, 2017
You can go either way with 3/4 ton truck. You could go with a light 5er or a heavy TT.

Fuel economy is going to suffer all around but more so with 12K 5er. You are losing economy by weight, height, and fuel. When you are pulling weight and drag (tall) up mountains and at altitude gasser produce their towing capacity at higher RPMs. That means more fuel. Of course the question there is Cents per mile, not necessarily MPG.

The truth is a diesels have the advantage as far as towing goes. A good gasser can do well, but diesels are still better, but cost more.

We had a tall toy hauler (closer to a 5er for drag) and besides needing to be cautious around trees it inhaled fuel. The diesel had little trouble hauling it around, but frugal on fuel it was not.

Grand Design Imagine makes a nifty TT called the 3150. Fully loaded it tops out around 9,000. That will still make a bite in the fuel but 3/4 ton should have no problem with it. It also has a 5er sized front hold and is nice complete with walkin closet.
TomG2
Explorer
Mar 08, 2017
Is the OP looking for a mobile home or a camper? I can see a 35' unit for living months at a time, but I prefer a much shorter and lighter unit for traveling. It the OP wants to get a one ton or larger tow vehicle, then he should be looking at the largest trailers on the lot. Those are the ones with multiple bedrooms, sofas, recliners, slides, and two bathrooms.
downtheroad
Explorer
Mar 08, 2017
My thoughts: 1 ton truck for the payload (they don't cost that much more)...a gasser would be fine.

Travel trailer: family means bicycles, and more of that kind of kid/family stuff. With a TT, you have the bed of you truck available to easily carry it all.
IdaD
Explorer
Mar 08, 2017
I would look at toy haulers too, whether you do bumper pull or fiver. That's going to be our next move because they offer so much more flexibility in terms of carrying toys and other cargo - such as your kayaks. There are separate garage models and there are also options where the garage is part of the main living area. In either you can generally you can get a pair of queen bunks that drop down from the ceiling for kids with a separate master up front. Just a thought anyway.

In terms of how the trailer is configured, with a fiver you get better towing and a shorter overall rig but the tradeoff is losing much of your bed space. With a toy hauler this is less of an issue, and even with a regular fifth wheel you can generally work around the limitation if you're creative. You don't lose your entire bed and you also have more storage in the camper.

Check out an Andersen Ultimate hitch if you want one that's easy to install/remove. I use the rail mount version and love the way it works. Some don't like rails in bed but I don't mind them an actually use them all the time as cargo tie downs.

Diesel vs gas? Either works at the weights you mentioned. Your profile says you live back east so you likely won't deal much with high elevations or Rockies/Sierras much if at all. I would recommend driving both and getting the one you prefer. The diesel is going to perform a lot better towing but the importance of that is up to you. Cost is a wash overall so don't get distracted by that red herring. The diesel costs more to buy, less to operate and it's worth more when you are done with it. If you look at the total ownership cost...the difference is immaterial.
Sandia_Man
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2017
That is ultimately your call, we tow a 33' TT with our crewcab Chevy HD gasser and we are pretty long but never and issue towing or backing into a site. This query is a common one with pros and cons to both, only you can decipher what is important and what is not. Plenty of floorplans that may prove suitable for your needs are available in both TT and 5er, spend some time at a RV show or online at YouTube or RVtrader and you will find what you are looking for. Good luck, here's hoping whatever you finally decide on delivers on all your expectations.
DrewE
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2017
If you're going to be buying both a trailer and a new truck, perhaps it would also make sense to at least glance at a class C or class A motorhome. A class C with a cabover bunk (for the kids) in particular might meet your needs pretty nicely and not be too hard to find. Most class C's and a lot of class A's would not be as tall as many fifth wheels.